The Night Before and the Morning After
by ceridwen-amyed
Summary: A rockin' par-tay and an odd couple... Enjoy :D
1. The Night Before

Disclaimer: I own none of this, I'm making not one single penny from it, etc etc  
  
Author's Note: A bit of a "what if" fic featuring my favourite performer at the Moulin Rouge, Chocolat (who only has one line in the whole film. Seriously) and everyone's favourite Diamond-Dog-we-love-to-hate, Nini 'legs in the air'.  
  
Set during Toulouse's party after the Duke agrees to fund 'Spectacular Spectacular' and the morning after.  
  
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The Night Before and the Morning After  
  
By  
  
Christine aka Piglitgirl  
  
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1 Chapter One: The Night Before  
  
Montmartre was always noisiest at night. The Creatures of the Underworld spent their days rushing about, doing the jobs they had to do to keep them out of the gutters that littered the streets. The daylight showed up the cracks in the buildings and in the makeup of women. In a way, the Bohemians hated the sun – it had the power to show them the truth of their penniless existence. Poor accommodation, poor food, poor drink, few possessions. The strings of coloured bulbs across the buildings hung listlessly, clanging against each other forlornly.  
  
At night, the lights came out and so did the bohemians. Suddenly the world was bright and beautiful and it was easy to forget in the haze that the rent was due and you had no way of paying it. The only thing that mattered was where the next exciting or beautiful thrill would come from. The person next to you perhaps, or the bottom of a bottle of Absinthe. Perhaps a painter or poet or singer would find you and turn you into a piece of art to be marvelled at by others.  
  
"We live by parties," said Araby, pulling a shawl tighter across her shoulders. The other Diamond Dogs came up beside her and all stood gazing at the windmill's glistening lights. The garden they stood in was littered with broken bottles and glasses and the occasional hat from a patron who had forgotten to pick it up as he left.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" asked China Doll.  
  
"We spend half the night in there," Araby replied, gesturing her hand back to dance hall, "dancing, singing… being paid to put on a huge party. And then we go out to another party, to celebrate the fact that the Moulin Rouge isn't going to be a party anymore."  
  
"You put it like that, I almost feel sorry that it's going to change," said Mome Fromage, pulling a compact out of her purse and scrutinising her reflection in the tiny mirror.  
  
"Yeah, almost," sneered Nini. "Well, come on then. It'll be over before we get there!"  
  
The last straggling patrons of the Moulin Rouge, heading their winding way home gazed in a kind of astonishment as the beautiful things they had danced and played with earlier that night strode out into the streets, laughing and shouting into the muggy air.  
  
The party was already raging by the time they arrived. People scrambled over each other to leave the hot apartment and headed for the roof climbing over the rooftops. Satie was sitting on the piano, pounding out a mass of rhythms that soared over each other in disharmony. For once, he didn't seem to mind that his music sounded awful; perhaps he could hear the perfect tune in his head.  
  
The Diamond Dogs dispersed as soon as they entered the door, finding their own little niche in the chaos. China Doll disappeared outside arm in arm with one of the other Diamond Dogs, Araby rushed over to Satie, shrieking as the Doctor left off one of his electrical explosions. Nini smiled, in her element. She laughed and spread her arms out, tilting her head backwards. Strong arms encircled her waist and spun her around. A deep, heavily accented voice murmured in her ear, "I love you. You're beautiful." She laughed even more loudly and leaned back so she could look her partner in the eye.  
  
"You say that to all the girls, every night."  
  
The Argentinean shook his head. "Doesn't make it any less true," he said solemnly. Toulouse rushed past and thrust glasses into their hands and then bustled away just as quickly. The Argentinean downed the green liquid in one and then pulled Nini closer to him, spilling her drink. "Lets dance," he growled.  
  
She knew the steps well – after all, they had choreographed this together. It was supposed to be one of the big finales to the shows – a dance from the brothels of Buenos Aires. However, everyone knew that when it came to grand finales, nothing could beat a swing, a big band and the Sparkling Diamond.  
  
Nini grabbed a bottle of Absinthe from one of the other performers and poured the bitter liquid down her throat. Almost instantly everything around her muted and became hazy as though a veil had been pulled over her eyes. She knew that after a few more drinks it would be hard for her to tell whether she was seeing everything through a shroud or whether a shroud had been lifted.  
  
They spun out onto the balcony nearly falling and laughing. Nini looked out towards the Moulin Rouge and caught a flash of red moving across the dark head of the Elephant. She stopped laughing. Satine.  
  
"That bitch," she growled. "She stole our finale, our dance." The Argentinean said nothing. He was looking at the Elephant as well, his expression blank and unreadable. Nini poked him in the ribs.  
  
"Doesn't it bother you?" she asked. "She stole our ending!"  
  
The Argentinean shrugged. "You know what they say. Ob-la-di, ob-la-da… life goes on."  
  
"Defeatist," she snorted.  
  
"We'll perform our dance," he replied firmly, as if he hadn't heard her. "One day. You'll see."  
  
"Yeah. In the middle of the street to a bunch of drunk gentlemen."  
  
"Perhaps."  
  
Before Nini could reply, a beautifully manicured hand tapped the Argentinean on the shoulder. He turned and saw a pretty girl, wearing a grey dress and a little hat. She smiled flirtatiously.  
  
"Can I cut in?" she asked, looking at Nini and smiling all the more widely.  
  
"Sure," said Nini, draining the rest of the bottle she still clutched in her hands and throwing it down to the street below. Any lingering feelings she had once felt for the Argentinean had faded once she had understood what he was really like. He was a difficult person to know, an enigma wrapped in an enigma, which coupled with an accent to die for, a handsome face and body and natural rhythm and grace, was very attractive. But only for a while. He was a bohemian and therefore believed in love, and yet he scorned those who did fall in love. Nini had supposed that something had happened to him in Argentina, a love affair gone wrong or some other disaster. So he did what all Bohemians then did and left his problems behind, heading for the centre of the revolution.  
  
She went back inside the party and shut her eyes, trying to pick out a rhythm in Satie's playing. The music filled her and twisted through her body, forcing it to move. Nini always found dancing extraordinarily tiring, because for that brief instant (and she didn't care how trite it sounded) she really was flying and it was always hard to come back to earth. Besides, it was the music that decided her movement, not her body and she often found herself moving in ways she could not usually. Occasionally she felt hands touch her, pass her about and she instinctively fell into them and let them guide her. She was content to know that they would direct her steps because they were also caught up in the music and the music would not let her fall.  
  
Unfortunately, one of her 'partners' was so far gone on Absinthe that he was dancing to a completely different rhythm. He spun her too hard and she opened her eyes in surprise. She crashed into the back of a chair and fell over someone crouched on the floor. She looked up and saw Chocolat wearing a maroon feather boa leaning over her. His eyes were wide open and boring straight into hers. Without taking his gaze away from her, he picked up a small wooden box beside him and opened it, holding it out to her. Inside lay 5 beautifully thick cigars. Nini took one and put it in her mouth. He held out a match to her and then paused, looking her up and down. Just behind her head she could feel the void that was the hole in the floor and her legs were entangled in the chair she had crashed over and sticking up in the air. Chocolat regarded her gravely for a moment.  
  
"Is this why they call you 'legs in the air'?"  
  
Nini burst out into gales of laughter and after a moment so did Chocolat. He got up and pulled her legs free of the chair. She lay sprawled on the floor and he straddled her, laughing loudly. She twisted around to look down the hole and into the writer's room. She could see him, peering out of the window towards the Moulin Rouge.  
  
"Alright darlin'?" she called. He ignored her. Or maybe he didn't hear her. Nini knew well enough what or who he was looking at. Only she could make men gawk like that. She said just that to Chocolat when he asked her what she was looking at. He cocked his head to one side.  
  
"Are you jealous?" he asked, slurring his words slightly.  
  
"A little," said Nini, sitting up cross-legged. "Not as much s you might think. I'm angry because she stole our," she pointed towards the Argentinean, "ending. Besides, the others are the same. I'm not much different." She gestured vaguely with the cigar towards Mome Fromage and Araby, dancing and throwing confetti over everybody.  
  
"Besides, she's got to sleep with that Duke… wouldn't fancy that. And she's got to be exclusively his." She prodded Chocolat's chest for emphasis. "No more wild parties for darling Satine." He nodded and they both sat silently for a while, watching the party rage on. Somehow, drink found its way into their hands and Nini could hear herself laughing at nothing in particular.  
  
One of the male performers twisted around the room, waving fans in everyone's faces. The Argentinean had a mock sword fight with the Doctor and ended up puncturing Toulouse's Swiss scenery. Toulouse became very cross and shouted at everyone to leave. He was placated by one of the Dogs. Nini laid her head on Chocolat's shoulder. Araby started singing to one of the tunes Satie was still pounding out.  
  
What's the sense in sharing this one and only life?  
  
Ending up just another lost and lonely wife.  
  
You count up the years and they will be filled with tears.  
  
There were catcalls and shouts of agreement from the crowd. Araby, flushed and laughing, climbed up one of the step ladders, pulling her skirt up to reveal her garter. Somebody wolf-whistled.  
  
Love only breaks up to start over again.  
  
You'll get the babies but you won't have your man.  
  
She pointed at one of the Diamond Dogs who was rumoured to be pregnant. The Dog in question pouted and started shouting "she lies!" over the noise.  
  
While he is busy loving, every woman that he can! Chorused the other Diamond Dogs. Araby spun around on the ladder, leaning dangerously back. Hands reached out to catch her if she fell. She pointed out the window towards the Moulin Rouge.  
  
Said I wanna leave, a thousand time a day,  
  
It's easier said than done, when you just can't break away!  
  
Araby did fall backwards now but was caught by the Argentinean. She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
Young hearts run free.  
  
Never be hung up, hung up like my man and me!  
  
Chocolat put his arm around Nini and kissed her clumsily on the cheek. She laughed and got up, pulling him with her.  
  
"It's too hot in here," she said truthfully. He nodded.  
  
"Let's go for a walk," he said taking her hand in his and leading her towards the door. They clattered down the stairs and spilled out onto the streets, giggling and waving at other late night revellers. The music from Toulouse's apartment poured out of the open windows and Nini shut her eyes, letting it fill her. Chocolat smiled indulgently and twirled her about, perfectly in time to the music. He guided her over the potholes in the road, past other people and up and down curbs. Finally, the music faded back into its previous discord and they stopped dancing. Nini let her head fall onto his shoulder and put her arms around his shoulders. He held her tightly to his chest. She eventually pulled away and studied his face.  
  
"I like you," she said. "A lot."  
  
He nodded. " I like you a lot too."  
  
"Good," said Nini, wondering if this emotion she felt had sprung from her heart or the drunken swirl of her thoughts. It was odd, she decided because she never usually spoke to Chocolat that often. She knew him well enough to know that the reason he was called Chocolat was not because of his dark skin (although that probably had a hand in it) but because he ate such vast quantities of chocolate every day and that he always carried a pack of cigars around with him, although he hardly smoked. But there had never been anything there to suggest this happening.  
  
He hesitated, then bent his head and kissed her. She made a faint noise against his lips and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. He pulled away all too soon and smiled genuinely at her. She smiled back, feeling that this was the first time for a long time she had genuinely smiled at anyone.  
  
"You don't taste like the cigar," he said. "I would have thought that you would."  
  
She pulled the cigar out of her purse and wagged it in his face. "Never lit it."  
  
"Ah," he said. She took his hand and led him silently into the Moulin Rouge's garden. As they passed the Elephant, they heard voices. Chocolat paused and looked up to the Elephant. Nini rolled her eyes but listened anyway. Low murmurings and laughter punctuated the garden's stillness.  
  
"Who do you think is with her?" asked Chocolat.  
  
"Maybe that writer. He seemed pretty eager." Chocolat shook his head.  
  
"Nini, you are awful," he sighed.  
  
"What? I'm speaking the truth. He liked her. Everyone does."  
  
"I like her."  
  
"You do?"  
  
"Not like that. She's a nice person."  
  
"I suppose," said Nini morosely. Chocolat glanced at her sad face. He thought for a moment and then picked her up in his arms. She shrieked in surprise and then laughed. He joined in and the air crackled with their laughter long after they had gone inside.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
'Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da' is a Yiddish phrase I believe, that the Beatles used in (surprise surprise) 'Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da'.  
  
'Young Hearts Run Free' – I don't know who did the original version but Kym Mazelle covered it for another great Baz Luhrmann film, 'Romeo + Juliet'.  
  
'Chapter Two: The Morning After' will be up in the next few days.  
  
Please r & r! 


	2. The Morning After

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Disclaimer: Characters, places and songs don't belong to me, they belong to… whoever owns them :P I'm not making any money out of this, it's just a little harmless (and pointless) fun!

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Author's Note: I really have no idea where this idea sprang from… Actually I do. Blame The Beatles and them writing songs that inspire me to write fan fiction :P

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Chapter Two: The Morning After

Streams of sunlight scored through the darkness behind Chocolat's closed eyelids, cutting red streaks through his dreams. He groaned and rolled over, wrapping one of his arms around his head. He rolled onto his back and lay perfectly still for a moment. Then he sighed and got up. There was no use trying to get back to sleep now. Besides, Zidler had insisted that they have an early morning meeting to discuss the new direction the Moulin Rouge was to take.

Quite suddenly, Chocolat realised that _she_ was no longer there. He sat on the side of the bed looking blankly across his meagre room. 

"Well, what did you expect?" he said out loud. "These type of things… they don't mean anything. Just a bit of fun."

And yet… _I like you. A lot._ What the hell did that mean? He liked Zidler. Didn't mean he wanted to sleep with him. He'd never even really noticed Nini before. Sure, he'd spoken to her, danced with her at parties – he didn't _dis_like her. But he wasn't sure whether he liked her.

"One," he said, counting off on his fingers," she has a mean streak. Two, she drinks too much." He paused realising that _he_ probably drank too much but decided to count it anyway. After all, it was still a vice.

"Three," he continued, "she laughs too loudly. Four, she wears too much eye makeup." He grinned, hearing her acerbic voice reply in his head _"the same to you!"_

"Five. It's a completely pointless relationship to pursue. What am I saying? A one night stand does not constitute a relationship and that's all it was…a one night stand."

But even as the words left his mouth he knew it was a lie. He'd had nights like that before – they went with living in Montmartre and at the Moulin Rouge. But never a night like that. A night of passion and almost unquenchable desire made all the more potent because it was so unexpected and scorching. The heat from her body had surprised him – he'd always seen Nini as cold and distant. But last night… last night she had been hot and very, very close, whispering words in his ear. Not words of love but words of nearly heartbreaking sincerity.

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I like you… How much? A lot? Enough to be with for one night only or enough to continue after the sun had risen? 

Chocolat stood swiftly and scrambled around the room pulling his clothes on. He had to know. One way or another.

* * * * * * *

Nini adjusted her hat and stared at her reflection.

"Move over Nini! Stop hogging the mirror!"

"Alright, alright!" she snapped back, glaring at Mome Fromage's slightly startled expression. "You need all the mirror time you can get." She pushed past the large woman, uneasily ignoring the hurt look on her face. She was never usually this brusque with the other girls, especially Mome Fromage, but she felt the need to be today. She wasn't entirely sure why. All she knew was that she'd woken up next to Chocolat and gazing at his peaceful face she knew she had to get out that room. The smell of him and even worse, the smell of the two of them together, which had so intoxicated her the night before was threatening to choke her. No matter how long she had lain in the bath tub or how hard she scrubbed the scent still seemed to cling to her. It wasn't that she regretted the night before but rather… 

She sighed. She didn't know what it was. Nini had never been one to analyse her actions: she just acted as her instincts told her to. And her instincts had told her to get as far away from that room and the man inside the warm bed as she could.

She walked out along the balconies of the dance hall and rested her elbows on the railings, resting her head in her hands. Satie and a few of his musician friends were gathered around a piano, Satie playing and humming a tune she vaguely recognised.

"Why did you leave?" asked a soft voice behind her. She gasped and turned around. Chocolat looked at her, head tilted sadly on one side. She recovered her composure quickly and rested one hand above her heart.

"What're you trying to do, give me a heart attack?" she demanded glaring at him as best she could.

"I didn't mean to disturb you," he replied in that same quiet helpless tone. She wished that he wouldn't speak like that. It made her feel helpless and cold-hearted because he didn't deserve her sharp tongue. The other Dogs… they could handle it. But there was a vulnerability, an innocence in Chocolat that she liked – _no! Don't think like that!,_ she thought desperately.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice softer.

"I just wanted to clear something up… Last night, you said that – that you liked me." He paused and she looked at him, half-hoping he would continue. "Do you?"

"Well, yeah. I like you," she said offhandedly, but having a sneaking suspicion he was seeing right through her with those big, dark eyes – _No!_ she scolded herself.

"How do you like me?" he said in a great rush, his eyes never wavering from her face.

Nini turned back to the dance floor, drumming her fingernails on the rail. She bit her lip, heart pounding painfully. She half turned back to him.

"Look, I think you're a – a wonderful person…" she paused unable to think of what to say next. Her spiky wit and speech seemed to have left her and she felt as helpless as a bird trapped in a cat's claw… Gazing back at the musicians around the piano she suddenly recalled where she'd heard the tune before. At the party. It had been one of the many melodies Satie had been playing. He must have remembered some of them. Without really thinking she started singing, suddenly thrust back into the dazzle of the party, where songs and dances could be performed without anybody questioning how or why.

__

We said our goodbyes

Chocolat smiled slightly.

__

Love was in your eyes, he countered. Her eyes widened and she turned, striding back down the corridor. 

"Never said anything about love," she tossed over her shoulder. She couldn't decide whether she was appalled or pleased when his voice resounded behind her.

__

When I held you near, you were so sincere.

Treat me like you did the night before.

Oh god, what have I started? She wondered as she turned back to face him, eyebrows raised. He smiled and took a step closer to her.

__

Were you telling lies?

Was I so unwise?

"I didn't promise you anything!" she cried. He shook his head. 

__

Now today I find, you have changed your mind.

Treat me like you did the night before.

Nini wasn't entirely sure whether this was the most romantic moment of her life or the most horrifying. If he noticed her discomfort, he ignored it and carried on singing.

__

Last night is the night I will remember you by.

When I think of things we did, it makes me want to cry!

"Then don't remember me at all! Why do you need to remember me?"

The sparkling, champagne feeling of the party evaporated away, leaving only the cold air and the man standing in front of her.

"I never promised you anything," she whispered again.

"So?"

"So?!"

He took another step closer and Nini felt the air constrict around her, practically forcing her to take a step closer to him.

"You like me. I like you." He paused, waiting for her to say something. When she didn't he continued. "Why can't we-"

"Because!" shouted Nini, surprised at the anger in her voice. "Because it would never work!"

"Why not?" he shot back.

"Because I'm… I'm afraid." She looked down at her feet, unable to believe she was actually saying this.

"Afraid?" he queried, sounding genuinely puzzled. She did not dare look at his face.

"…Afraid that I could more than like you." She heard him suck in a breath. 

"Nini…"

"Just forget it alright?" she said, wiping her eyes, furious at her own stupid weakness. "Forget I said anything."

"No." His voice was filled with a quiet authority and she looked at him in surprise. He cupped her face.

"I'm not asking for a full-blown relationship. Just that we… spend some time together. Liking each other. Not love." Her eyes flicked away from his, down to the dance hall. The others were gathering there, chattering quietly to each other, complaining of hangovers. The writer stood with the other bohemians, laughing at their pale faces. Just then Satine and Zidler entered. The writer stopped talking and gazed at her. There was something beautiful in the way he smiled at her, as though he were hearing a song or seeing a dance that only he understood and therefore, there was no need to guard his expression. Satine smiled at him and turned, apparently listening to Zidler but Nini could somehow tell, from the way she tilted her head, the swing of her hips as she moved, that whatever the writer was hearing, she understood it too.

Nini turned back to Chocolat. He smiled at her, his expression naked with his feeling for her.

"Just liking?" she whispered. He nodded.

"Nothing heavy."

"I don't know…" Nini knew as well as any woman knows that whatever control she could exert over her body or mind, she had no control over her heart. That was her one vulnerable spot. Perhaps Chocolat saw that because he stood back, releasing her face and looked down. Nini could only just make out the expression on his face but she knew that he was disappointed.

"Chocolat…" 

Silence bloomed between the two of them, an awful gulf that swallowed Nini and made her want to shout. Chocolat looked back at her almost shyly.

"What if we take it slowly? Really slowly."

She looked quizzically at him.

"I don't mean we should have... dinner together, or… whatever couples do." He smiled lopsidedly. "Just that we talk. Go to parties. Dance. Make love."

She raised her eyebrows. "And that's taking it slow?"

He laughed shortly. "Well?"

She hesitated. 

"Let's see how we go," he offered, almost desperately. "Do whatever comes naturally?" Nini smiled slowly.

"So if I want to kiss you, I can and if I want to ignore you, I can?"

"Well, I suppose. Same would go for me too."

Nini looked back down to the hall. Zidler was calling for everyone to take a seat and that they would be starting soon. Satine and Christian smiled a secret smile. to each other_. Isn't that what everyone dreams about? _she thought_. To be able to share a secret smile like that and know that only one other person knows what it means? _I've_ never wanted that. If that person leaves you, what then? I can't invest all my hopes in one person…._

Another voice piped up at the back of her mind. _But what about investing only _some_ of them with one person? Surely that can't hurt?_

Nini sighed, realising she was fighting a losing battle. She'd known, the moment he had kissed her the night before, that this would not be one night only. If she hadn't pulled away then, well, she'd made her own bed. Time to lie in it. 

She turned to Chocolat and smiled. He grinned, relieved, and stepped towards her, encircling her corseted waist with powerful arms. She hugged him, listening to his muffled heartbeat through his clothes.

"This is probably going to be the most dysfunctional relationship ever forged at the Moulin Rouge."

She felt him laugh, a deep, throaty sound.

"Well, we are pretty dysfunctional people." He kissed her forehead and took her hand. "Come on. Zidler calls."

She smiled back at him, the expression illuminating her face. "I want to sit with the other Dogs."

"That's fine, I want to sit behind you."

"Why?"

"I want to stare at you-"

"Ha!"

"-And your hat." She stopped, staring at him in amazement. "What?" he asked somewhat indignantly. "It's a very interesting hat."

"You can borrow it if you like."

"Really?"

"Green's not really your colouring though…"

He laughed and bent over, kissing her lips lightly. He stroked the side of her face, smiling.

"See?" he said. "We have fun."

"Yes," she replied. "I suppose we do."

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The End

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Hope you enjoyed! In fact, why don't you let me know… Reviews are good for your health!

BTW, 'The Night Before' is by The Beatles and used without permission.


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